Nationwide Division Two - Tuesday 23rd November, 1999
Cambridge
United (4-3-3): Marshall, Ashbee, Joseph, McNeil, Wilson; Mustoe,
Wanless, Mackenzie; Kyd, Butler (Taylor 75'), Benjamin.
Wrexham: Dearden, McGregor,
Hardy, Owen (Gibson 66'), Carey, Russell (Faulconbridge 66'), Connelly,
N. Roberts, S. Roberts (Ridler 46'), Williams, Ferguson.
Shots on target: Wrexham 7 Cambridge 1
Referee: K.A. Leach (Codsall)
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There was just one change to the side that edged
past Bamber Bridge on Saturday, with Shaun Marshall returning in goal as
anticipated. 17-year-old defender Adam Tann was named among the substitutes.
The game kicked off in uninspiring fashion with neither side starting well,
and it was the home side who created the first scoring chance when Kevin
Russell's 25 yard free kick was just inches out, forcing an anxious dive
from Shaun Marshall. However United made their first attack count after
some nice interplay as Ashbee linked well with Mustoe, who threaded a neat
ball inside the full back to Kyd. The transfer-listed forward played a nice one-two with Butler on the edge of the area before taking the ball to the bye line and rolling it along the line where it was bundled over by Trevor Benjamin.
Wrexham regrouped and came at United after the goal but the back four defended
well and Paul Wanless excelled in what must be his natural position just
in front of the defence. The North Wales side were reduced to long range
shots at Shaun Marshall's goal, although they saw plenty of the ball as
United gave it away cheaply at times.
In the 32nd minute Owen was given time for a shot from the edge of the box
but it curled comfortably into Marshall's arms. There was a late flurry
of end to end action and in the 40th minute Connelly and Owen linked well
and Owen's 25 yard shot was tipped over by Marshall, but a minute later
Butler and Benjamin played a neat one-two which almost put Butler in until
a last ditch tackle by the full back denied him.
In the 43rd minute Mackenzie played a good ball inside for Butler but his
shot from the edge of the box whistled wide, then two minutes later Kyd
played a great ball inside the full back to Benjamin but a lunging tackle
by the full back won the ball cleanly in the box. There was no room for
error and Benjamin went to ground but it was a good challenge and there
was no question of a penalty.
Wrexham looked like a side bereft of confidence and sections of the Main
Stand were getting on their backs towards the end of the half, and goalkeeper
Kevin Dearden seemed troubled by a groin injury as he left the pitch at
the end of the half. (Half-time 1-0)
Wrexham made a like-for-like change at half-time, bringing on Dave Ridler
in the centre of defence in place of Stephen Roberts. United started the
second half in good form and after just two minutes a weak backpass was
almost intercepted and the clearance rebounded off Benjamin's chest as he
was unable to bring it under control.
In the 50th minute Karl Connelly got through and was tackled by Marc Joseph
right on the edge of the box, and although the referee waved 'play on' his
assistant raised his flag and a free kick was awarded. Connelly's shot went
through the wall and with Marshall beaten the ball was kicked off the line
by Ian Ashbee with a great interception.
In the 53rd minute Mackenzie cut into the area but his low drive was saved
low down as Dearden got his angles just right, then four minutes later Mustoe's
corner was met by a majestic header by Paul Wanless, but the ball was cleared
off the line by Williams.
Martin Butler collected a potentially costly booking in the 61st minute for not retreating and if that is confirmed as his fifth booking he will miss the AWS tie against Barnet.
A good opening was wasted in the 63rd minute when Mackenzie got clear and Benjamin made a great run down the left in acres of space, but was ignored as Mackenzie tried the more difficult pass to Butler. Wrexham made a double change in the 66th minute when Robin Gibson and Craig Faulconbridge replaced Owen and Russell, to the disgust of the home fans, but those two linked up to bring the Robins level after 73 minutes. There had been signs that the home side were raising their game and Gibson got the ball to the bye line before crossing into the box, the ball was back-heeled by Roberts into the path of Faulconbridge who side-footed the ball home.
In the 75th minute the below par Butler was replaced by John Taylor and was obviously unhappy as he left the pitch. That was more or less it for goalmouth action, although United had a late, late chance when, two minutes into stoppgage time, Michael Kyd cut into the area and flashed a shot just wide.
It is perhaps a sign of our improved recent form that we hoped for the win but would have settled for another away point at the beginning of the game, but were disappointed with that haul at full time.
Reporter Mark Johnson's man of the match was Paul Wanless: "Captain Fantastic who was everywhere".
RESULTS AND ATTENDANCES ON 23/11/99
AFC Bournemouth 4-1 Brentford 4,202
Blackpool 1-2 Millwall 2,819
Bristol City 1-1 Oldham Athletic 8,214
Bury 2-2 Wigan Athletic 4,086
Colchester United 0-3 Cardiff City 2,557
Luton Town 0-2 Preston North End 5,124
Notts County 0-1 Oxford United 4,020
Scunthorpe United 1-4 Gillingham 3,444
Wrexham 1-1 Cambridge United 3,467
Wycombe Wanderers 0-4 Stoke City 4,345
BOTTOM OF DIVISION TWO AFTER TONIGHT'S GAMES
19 Bristol City 17 3 8 6 17 22 -5 17
20 Cambridge United 18 3 6 9 27 32 -5 15
21 Reading 16 4 3 9 21 33 -12 15
22 Colchester United 17 3 5 9 19 38 -19 14
23 Blackpool 18 2 6 10 18 33 -15 12
24 Chesterfield 17 2 5 10 11 20 -9 11
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ANOTHER lead lost, the eighth in a frustrating campaign, but Cambridge United emerged an upbeat team, encouraged by the display and more annoyed than disappointed by the result. Skipper Paul Wanless admitted: "We'd probably have settled for a draw before the game, because Wrexham is always a hard place to come to. But we would have deserved the win, we felt comfortable in the lead, and they weren't really hurting us until they got a breakaway." A rapid three-man move finished by Trevor Benjamin put United ahead midway through the first half, and they looked more convincing leaders than in any other away match this season. The shots-on-target statistic of 7-4 in the Welsh side's favour twisted the tale, because most of those attempts were from outside the box and straight into the hands of goalkeeper Shaun Marshall. So it was rough justice for Roy McFarland's men, and especially for Wanless, who was involved in the build-up to the 73rd minute equaliser, that Wrexham should strip two precious points away with their only really dangerous attack from open play. A Wanless run when Neil Mustoe was well-placed for a pass was blocked, allowing Wrexham to break away and score a similar goal to United's. Particularly galling for him since he was close, in the 58th minute, to crowning an influential midfield display with what probably have been a clinching goal. He outjumped the defence when Mustoe swung over a right-wing corner and powered a header down towards the near post. Goalkeeper Kevin Dearden -- who once had a spell with United on loan from Spurs -- was beaten, but Danny Williams blocked the ball on the line with his shins. "I thought it was in when I made contact," said Wanless, "and I don't think they would have come back from two down." Wrexham were indeed on the ropes at that stage. Without a League win in nine games and a goal in four, what little confidence they gained from a scrambled FA Cup victory over third division Rochdale was draining away as the the fans began chanting "Flynn out," at their long-serving manager. That was punctuated by noisy support for United by what sounded like more than the 120 or so supporters who had made the long midweek journey. The feeling must have been settling on the Welsh team that fate was not on their side, since their two best efforts up to then had been brilliantly saved. Marshall showed there were no lingering effects of his car collision, by tipping a blistering 25yard drive from Gareth Owen over the bar in the 40th minute. And when Karl Connolly did well to drive a free kick through the defensive wall 10 minutes later, Ian Ashbee saved United with a reflex goal-line clearance. But a couple of mistakes in a 90 minutes display marked by the safety and common sense simplicity of much of the play, was costly for United. That kind of back-to-basics approach was certainly what continued the improvement in defence, where the developing partnership of young Martin McNeil and Marc Joseph provided a solid base. They were not embarrassed to bang the ball away out of play if necessary when cornered, cutting out the frills which too often entangled United at the start of the season. And it was the obvious ball which was required from Neil Mackenzie nine minutes before Wrexham snatched their goal. Running through the middle with three worried defenders twisting and turning in front of him, he had Martin Butler close on his right, but Benjamin in acres of space on the left. A pass for Benjamin to run on to would have taken him to the edge of the box, with Butler pulling defenders away from him. But Mackenzie chose to try to thread a pass through to Butler, giving a defender the chance to stick out a leg and snuff out the danger. Another interception as United attempted some short passing near the half-way line, sent Wrexham away on a move so well-worked that it deserved a goal, even if on overall play they had to be the side happier to have drawn. McFarland withdrew top-scorer Butler after the equaliser, but not to shut up shop. The striker had run himself into the ground in two matches in three days.
It was United who tried hardest for the winner in the closing stages, Michael Kyd flashing a shot across the face of goal in injury time. It was the kind of effort which might have produced a last gasp winner during the promotion campaign, but this is not that sort of season.
Report © Cambridge Newspapers
Ltd
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